A study indicates a change in a behavior of Generation Alpha. And this may surprise some of you.
What is Generation Alpha? Generation Alpha is considered the generation that follows Generation Z. This includes individuals born in 2010 or later. They have thus been fully born in the 21st century.
While the state of technology in previous generations differed significantly from the current time, for Generation Alpha, the ability to be online anytime and anywhere is pervasive. A study now shows that this generation uses this ability less than many people from other generations might assume.
Less smartphone, more mental health
What kind of study is this? The study was conducted by the market research institute GWI. In the corresponding survey, 20,000 children from 18 different countries were asked to draw conclusions about their behavior with smartphones.
The result that came from the survey shows a clear development. 40% of respondents stated that they actively take breaks from using smartphones, computers, and tablets. Three years earlier, in 2022, this share was only 18%. It has thus more than doubled in that short period.
According to Sonia Livingstone, the head of the “Digital Futures for Children” center at the London School of Economics, this finding is also supported by a study that is to be published soon. It became clear that children and young people are trying different methods and strategies to better control and manage the impact of online activities on their well-being.
In an interview with the Guardian, she said:
“Children have received the warning from their parents, the media, and their own experiences that too much social media is not always good for them. Therefore, they experiment with different ways to protect their well-being without wanting to completely abandon social media. I am sure that they discuss what is good for them and how they want to proceed.”
This view is also shared by Daisy Greenwell. She is a co-founder of the “Smartphone Free Childhood” initiative. She says:
“We regularly hear from teenagers who are exhausted by the pressure to be constantly online and retreat for their own mental health. Many of them are becoming aware that these platforms are not neutral. They are designed to manipulate attention… They recognize that their time, concentration, and self-esteem are being monetized by some of the biggest companies in the world. Taking a break has become an act of rebellion.”
Generation Alpha seems to take to heart advice that most have probably heard from their parents in the past: to spend less time on screens.
While Generation Alpha spends less time on smartphones or actively regulates the time spent, they do not solely spend this time on social media. Instead, a large part even earns money online: Generation Alpha is not just aimlessly glued to their phones: They are making real money online.
